Don't Tell the Bride
by Chiera
Summary: Lily and James are about to face the most stressful three weeks in their life: They'll have to spend the weeks apart without having any contact with each other - while James will be planning their wedding and Lily will be none the wiser. AU. One Shot.


"It wasn't love at first sight," Lily told the camera, a wry smile curving her lips.

"It was for me," James countered, squeezing her hand.

The TV camera zoomed in on their entwined hands, resting on James' thigh, focusing on the glimmering engagement ring on Lily's finger.

"Then again," James continued, "we met in secondary school and back then I was the biggest prat while Lily was the angel she's always been, so I can't really blame her for taking her time."

"Well, he grew up in the end," Lily said, flashing a quick smile to her fiancé. "And turned out to be a decent bloke."

"' _Decent'_ she says!" James exclaimed, his hazel eyes twinkling with laughter.

"With a great sense of humour. I think that's one of the things that finally won me over," Lily said.

"I'm a bit nervous, honestly. It's gonna be an interesting three weeks," James told the camera.

"I'm not sure there even needs to be a wedding at this point," Lily said, her voice wry. "The fact that I've agreed to this madness should be enough of a proof of my undying love. After this, marriage will be just a minor formality."

"Oh, there _will_ be a wedding!" James said. "I just hope it will be one that Lily will enjoy."

"I hope so too because I'd hate to divorce you," Lily replied.

The two of them looked at each other and burst into a laughter so warm and contagious that the TV crew behind the camera had to bite their lips not to join in.

* * *

James watched Lily drive off. His shoulders were drooping, his hand jumping restlessly to comb through his hair.

"I hate this already," he muttered, going back into the house and paying no attention to the camera following his steps, the microphone hovering above his head.

He slumped onto the drawing room sofa. It felt sadly empty now that Lily was gone.

"It's gonna be hard not to have any contact with her for three weeks, I can already tell," he said softly. "I already want to text her."

James heaved a sigh and then reached for his phone and hit the speed dial.

"Hey mate," he said as soon as Sirius picked up. "It's show time! Get Remus and get your arses here so we can start to plan this thing."

"James knows me," Lily breathed, though whether trying to reassure herself or the imagined audience she wasn't sure.

"We've known each other forever, since from when we were teenagers, really. So he knows what I like. At least, he _should_ know… And I trust him, I do. Otherwise, I would've never agreed to this."

She slanted the camera a quick glance.

"Honestly, my biggest worry is Sirius. Or rather the influence he will have on James. Individually, they are lovely, brilliant men. Together, they're a disaster waiting to happen. I can only hope they've got Remus on board so there will be at least _one_ voice of reason in the mix. Though knowing them they'll be deaf and blind to any reason."

Lily sighed and rubbed her face.

"This was such a bad idea," she muttered to herself, pointedly ignoring the camera focused on her.

* * *

"So, do you have any ideas?" Sirius asked, lounging on an armchair in Lily's and James' drawing room.

"Nothing much yet," James admitted, running his hand through his hair. "But I think it'd be cool to have the wedding in Scotland."

Remus folded his arms across his chest. "Like Gretna Green?"

"Ugh, god no," Sirius cut in. "Don't be a cliché, James."

James rolled his eyes. "No, not Gretna Green. It has to be something better. Bigger. More romantic. _Magical_."

"Don't go too big, I don't think Lily would want a big wedding," Remus said.

"Yeah, she wouldn't," James agreed.

"Magical, eh?" Sirius frowned. "What about a castle?"

"Can you have a wedding at a castle?" Remus asked.

"Sure, why couldn't you?" Sirius shrugged.

James reached for his laptop and made a quick google search.

"Looks like there's plenty of castles to choose from. Look."

He turned the laptop screen to show it to Sirius and Remus.

The TV camera zoomed in on the screen and the listing of Scottish castles on display.

Sirius whistled.

Remus was already rolling up his sleeves. "If we're gonna do this we need to make a list of the ones we like the best and then start to ring through all these places to see if they're available."

James slanted a glance at the TV camera. "See, this is why Remus is here. Sirius and me, we'd never even think of making a list."

"Blergh, lists." Sirius made a face. Soon enough, though, he perked up. "Hey, if the wedding's in Scotland, does that mean I get to wear a kilt?"

Remus and James shared a look and spoke at the same time. "No."

Sirius pouted. "Why not?"

"Because I really don't need you trying to steal the show, Sirius," James joked.

"Fair point," Sirius admitted. "If I got to show off my amazing legs nobody would care about the bride and groom."

Remus snorted and James burst into laughter.

* * *

"I don't want this to be my day to be a princess," Lily told Mary and Marlene, trying not to feel self-conscious about the camera. "I just want something small and warm and intimate. Something romantic with friends and family there to witness it. Nothing crazy. The simpler the better."

"Well with James and Sirius working on this, I think simple is out of the window," Marlene said, patting Lily's shoulder.

Lily grimaced. "I know, that's what worries me. They will have all the best intentions but they will do something way over the top and I'll find myself bungee-jumping in a big silly poofy dress or something."

"I'm not sure they'd go quite that far," Mary said, trying to placate Lily. "But you should try to keep an open mind."

"You're right." Lily sighed. "I'm trying to remind myself that what matters most is having our friends and family there to see James and me celebrating our love."

"And to have an open bar," Marlene quipped.

Lily laughed. "That too. Family, friends and fun. And love and trust. They should be enough."

And Lily really hoped it woud be, although worry was growing inside of her, gnawing her gut.

* * *

"An actual castle!" James turned to grin at the camera. "This is gonna be brilliant."

"There were so many castles to choose from," Sirius remarked, "so of course James is gonna go and pick the one that's furthest away from any civilisation."

"It is very picturesque though," Remus pointed out. "Overlooking the water and all."

"Yeah," James agreed, full of enthusiasm. "And look at this entrance! I mean it almost makes you want to have the wedding out here!"

"Go for it," Sirius said, gesturing at the entrance. "Plenty of room here. You'd have the castle in the background. As long as the weather holds out it would work."

Light sparked in James' eyes. "Yeah, that's a great idea. Let's go in and have a chat with the events coordinator."

The men walked into the castle, the TV crew trailing after their steps.

* * *

"My mum was always planning parties for this charity or that," James commented, double checking the guest list before stuffing another wedding invitation into an envelope. "I should've been paying more attention."

"I know, mate," Sirius replied with a groan. "This is so much _work_. I think Lily's the one who's better off after all."

"I bet Lily would disagree," Remus said distractedly, frowning at the laptop screen.

"Well my wrist is starting to hurt from writing down all these addresses so I still stay Lily's better off," Sirius grumbled.

James chuckled and Remus rolled his eyes.

Sirius looked down at the stack of invitations. "You know we could just… lose Petunia's invitation. Or forget about it. Accidents happen right and what do three blokes know about organising a wedding? Mistakes are bound to be made."

"That's very tempting," James said, his lips twitching into a smile. "And I'm sure Lily wouldn't mind the least. But I don't want to upset Mrs Evans."

"Keeping peace with the in-laws," Sirius snorted. "Smart move, Potter."

James grinned. "Well, one of us has to be smart, eh? Speaking of, how's the budget looking, Remus?"

Remus stopped staring at the spreadsheet and rubbed his eyes. "We're doing all right so far. The expenses are racking up pretty quickly though and I'm worried we might have forgotten something."

"How? We have a checklist and everything, thanks to you," Sirius retorted.

"Because there are a ton of details that go into a big event like this," Remus replied curtly.

"We have the cake. We have food and booze. We have guests." Sirius waved an invitation. "We have a Scottish castle. I mean what more do we need?"

"Oh, nothing important. Just things like the flowers, the decorations, dresses for Lily and the bridesmaids and suits for the three of us. Transportation to Scotland might come in handy as well as accommodations there before the big day. Then we'll need a photographer –"

"Ok fine I get it," Sirius cut in. "Don't be a twat."

"Settle down, guys," James said. "And don't worry. There's a lot to be done but we can do it."

"I have to say that I'm impressed by you, James. I thought you'd be freaking out and bending over backwards to make everything perfect for Lily," Remus said.

James ran his hand through his hair. "I _do_ want the day to be special, for her. But honestly, I don't care if it's perfect – right not my bar is set very low. I miss Lily so much I'm going bonkers so as long as she's gonna be there in a white dress and says I do I'm gonna be the happiest man on Earth."

"You two are disgusting and deserve each other," Sirius declared, a huge grin on his face. He clapped James on the shoulder. "Don't worry, mate. We'll make it special for the two of you."

* * *

"Do you already know what you're looking for?" Marlene asked, holding open the door for the bridal boutique so that the rest of their party – Mary, Lily and Lily's mother – could walk in.

"I'll know it when I see it," Lily answered, "but I know what types of dresses I prefer."

The sales attendant hurried to meet them, acting graciously professional despite the cumbersome TV crew that was tagging along with the four women.

"Something simple. Classic and elegant with a sleek silhouette," Lily explained to the sales attendant, who smiled politely and promptly steered her towards a rack and started pointing out options.

Lily bit down her lip and tried not to glare at the cameras.

She thought this section of the show was cheap and cruel – letting the bride try on her dream dress to drum up drama for the moment when the hapless groom would inevitably get it wrong. Or just to make her nervous about the potential disaster.

As if she wasn't nervous enough already, being so toally out of the loop.

"Do you think James is going to be able to pick a dress that you like?" Mary asked, as if on cue.

"I think James is going to pick a dress he _thinks_ I'd like. Most probably he's going to pick something he thinks I'd look good in."

"James is sweet," Lily's mother chimed in. "I think he's going to pick well."

"And anyway the groom's reaction to the dress is the most important thing, right?" Marlene added. "You'll wanna wear a dress that makes his eyes pop and jaw drop and if he's gonna be the one choosing and picks something he thinks would look good on you? You're all set."

"That's true," Lily said, her shoulders slumping a little as a tension she hadn't even realised she'd been carrying eased away.

The not knowing really was the _worst_.

But now, at last, the corners of her lips quirked up in a grin. "So, would you ladies want to see me try on some dresses?"

The answer from her bridal party was an unequivocal yes.

* * *

"This is a first," James joked, standing in the dress shop and trying his best not to feel overwhelmed.

"You have Lily's sizes?" Remus asked, obviously uncomfortable as he looked around the store.

"Yeah. I think they can get it fitted though. Right?" he asked the saleswoman waiting on them with thinly veiled amusement.

"Of course," she reassured them.

James felt a wave of relief. Until the saleswoman smiled and asked: "What kind of dress are you looking for?"

James had honestly no idea and when he admitted that, his eyes started glazing over when the saleswoman started to talk through styles and colours – which didn't make any sense anyway because the dresses were just all looking white to him.

"I really need to get this right," James fretted, pulling at his hair.

"How about you just tell me about the bride," the saleswoman said, smiling patiently at them. "And I'll come up with some options to show you."

"Yeah, brilliant, we'll do that," James said. "Umm, Lily has green eyes. Really stunning. And her hair's beautiful; long and red –"

"Dark red," Sirius specified. "She also has a fair complexion and a kind of slender-looking pear-shape body type."

James raised his eyebrow at Sirius but held his tongue.

"All right, that helps," the saleswoman nodded. "What else?"

"She's amazing," James said. "Brilliant. Very smart. Very focused. But she's also really funny. Has a great sense of humour."

"She has a bit of a temper," Remus said. "But she's also one of the kindest people I know."

"She's outspoken and stubborn. She knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it," Sirius added. "And she's a very warm person."

"Great. We'll keep all that in mind and have a look at the dresses, all right?" the saleswoman said.

James nodded and meekly followed after her.

After a while, the options started to blur. James was all but ready to take a break.

"Let me know if you need me to model any of these for you, mate," Sirius called, trying to lighten up the mood.

The corners of James' lips twitched. "Well since you volunteered…"

"This one is very classic," the saleswoman said, pulling out yet another dress.

And this time, James could see it. He could picture Lily in that dress, clear as a day.

Before he had time to succumb to hesitation and second-guessing, he followed his gut.

"We're taking this one."

* * *

James had never been this stressed about anything in his life. His head felt ready to implode and his spirits had been down all week because not having Lily around was bloody awful. He was starting to resent the cameras, always butting in on everything.

"And what about the place cards?" he asked Remus.

Details like party favours or table settings or seating charts or place cards would've never even crossed James' mind – or Sirius', for that matter.

Thank god they had Remus.

"I just rang the printing place and put in the order. The place cards should be ready to be picked up on Friday.

Sirius perked up. "Friday is the day! We are going to party like no tomorrow. It'll be the best stag night ever!"

James laughed, feeling quite ready to knock back a couple of pints and let out some steam.

Until a horrible thought struck him.

"What about the hen night? Have we made any arrangements for the hen night?"

"Shit, I knew we were forgetting _something_ ," Remus cursed.

James shot up from his chair. "Did we forget about the bloody hen night?"

"Well we need to come up with something and fast," Sirius pointed out less than helpfully. "We only have two days till Friday."

Remus said a few choice words that would have to be bleeped out in post-production.

James was pacing now, as if that would help him to outrun the panic.

"She wouldn't want anything too rowdy," he said, rubbing his temples.

"Right," Remus agreed.

"It has to be something fun for her. I want her to let her hair down," James continued.

"If you want her to be pampered just book a spa," Sirius muttered.

James latched onto the idea with the desperation of a drowning man. "Spa day! That's a thing, right?"

Remus' fingers danced over the keyboard of his laptop as he did a quick google search.

"It is very much a thing," he replied. "This one has a champagne lunch spa day for about a hundred quid per person."

"Ring them," James ordered Sirius. "See if they're available."

"On it."

"Can we afford it?" James asked, turning to Remus who in turn started to consult his trusty spreadsheet.

"We might have to shift things around a bit. Maybe cancel the place card order and do them ourselves by hand. I think we could spare enough for five or six people."

Sirius, still on the phone, gave James the thumbs up.

"Then we'll do that," James said, collapsing back into his chair. He turned to Sirius. "Book it for a party of six."

* * *

Lily hadn't been sure of the dress at first, but once she'd actually seen herself in the mirror, wearing it, she'd fallen in love with it.

She, Marlene and Mary had been shaking their heads and rolling their eyes over James' poor choice of footwear, however.

The shoes were pretty but the heels were far from comfortable and her toes were already feeling pinched.

But even that didn't bother her, because this was her _wedding day_.

She had been nervous and giddy and worried and impatient when they'd got into the car back at the hotel.

Now, standing on the road leading up to an actual Scottish castle on a sunny June afternoon she mostly just felt surreal.

She couldn't believe this was happening.

After three weeks of separation and mounting stress, they were finally here.

About to get married.

And from what she could see, everything looked amazing. She couldn't be more proud of James.

The music – provided by an actual string duo – started up. The guests turned as one to look at Lily, who'd just arrived at the end of the aisle and looped her arm securely around her father's.

Lily's heart leapt in her chest as she looked across the cobbled yard to see James standing there, waiting for her near the front steps of a centuries old castle, looking absolutely dashing in his tux.

Then he lifted his glasses to rub at his eyes and Lily guessed he was tearing up.

Lily squeezed her dad's arm, smiled brilliantly at her waiting husband-to-be and started down the aisle, alight with happiness.

* * *

 **THE END.**


End file.
